


Violet in the Vail

by matterbaby, softwheeze



Category: Buzzfeed Unsolved (Web Series), Watcher Entertainment
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, Alternative Universe - Kingdom, Flirting, Fluff, Forbidden Love, M/M, Period-Typical Homophobia, Prince!Ryan, Rating May Change, Royalty, Slow Burn, painter's apprentice!shane, someone help poor ryan
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-03
Updated: 2020-06-14
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:02:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,261
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23832076
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/matterbaby/pseuds/matterbaby, https://archiveofourown.org/users/softwheeze/pseuds/softwheeze
Summary: “Um… your name… I never got it.”“Mhm. Too busy looking for your dog,” The boy teased, a glint in his eye. He held out his hand to shake. “I’m Shane. Shane Madej. I’m Sir Joseph Bowman’s apprentice. I’m sure you’ve heard of him.”OR: Ryan is the prince of his kingdom, the heir to the throne. Shane is an aspiring artist; a well-known painter's apprentice. They find each other.
Relationships: Ryan Bergara/Shane Madej
Comments: 48
Kudos: 95





	1. I

**Author's Note:**

> co-written with the lovely matterbaby!! i legit cannot have done this without u sophia. :D ily and ur talented ass. we hope you enjoy! -annabelle <333

Dawn had just come upon the Kingdom, and the sun was rising, stretching its golden light upon the beautiful land. The castle was bustling with life; the cooks, maids, butlers, and carpenters were all working early in the morning. And as for the royal family, they had business to attend to, as always.

Prince Ryan was woken kindly, but not subtly by his advisor, Steven. He groaned as Steven rang a bell in his face, telling him to wake up, for he had a meeting that day with his father and another neighboring kingdom. Ryan was grumbly the whole morning, through getting dressed, doing his hair, and eating breakfast. Nonetheless, he had to go, and it wasn’t something he could just opt out of.

“C’mon, dad, do I really have to go?” Ryan complained, even as he stepped into the covered royal carriage alongside his father. 

“You’re going to be king one day, Ryan,” His father gently reminded him as the carriage started to take off. “You have to start coming to these negotiation meetings.” Ryan pouted, but sadly his father was right. Being king wasn’t something as fun as all the commoners of the kingdom most likely thought it was. Being a king meant paperwork this, negotiations that, boring boring boring. If Ryan was completely honest he didn’t want to be king. Being prince was nice, of course, and Ryan was very grateful of his family’s status and the privileges that came along with it, but Ryan didn’t want to grow up and be bound to a throne all day and all night while being forced to marry whatever woman his family wanted him courted with.

As the carriage entered the town, Ryan grew bubbly and excited. He heard shouts of “The king is here!” and “I heard the prince is with him!” He always grew excited whilst riding through the town. He’d never had many friends, other than his cousins, his tutor, and his brother, Jake. He wished he had some friends his age as well, though. He poked his head out of the carriage window to see a bunch of people waving and smiling, and his heart filled with pride. Their kingdom was known to be peaceful and kind, just like his father, and the king always prided himself on the kindness of their subjects.

It was a bright, sunshine-filled morning, and outside of the carriage Ryan and his father were riding in, the town was bustling with life at the announcement of the King’s short departure. Mothers ushered their children outside, people were laughing and playing. Kids waved, smiled and played, adults talked and gossiped. Ryan would do anything just for one day in the town, with the commoners.They always seemed so joyful and happy. Ryan loved being a prince, but being a commoner for one day wouldn’t hurt.

As Ryan was gazing at the people of his kingdom lined among the sides of the roads, one in particular caught his eye. He looked to be a boy about Ryan’s age, maybe a little older, standing against the wall of one of the cottages, staring into the distance, looking bored. He was wearing a disheveled, paint stained button-up, tucked underneath dark green dress pants. His hair was a lighter brown, and his skin was fair. Ryan gasped, looking out the window as the carriage passed by the boy, and his heart rate sped up. That boy was one of the most beautiful Ryan had ever seen in his life!

“What’re you looking at, Ryan?” His father joked when Ryan was starting to strain his neck to keep his eyes on that boy as the carriage drove farther and farther away from him.

Ryan drew himself back in, crossing his arms and flushing a soft shade of pink. “Nothing,” He replied simply. 

“Did you see a girl?” His father smiled at him and nudged him playfully.

Ryan’s eyebrows raised. “What?! No, dad, no… I just… I wish I could go out there and play with the kids. That’s all.” He shrugged, knowing what his dad was going to say.

“I know, Ryan, but you know you can’t play with them. I don’t want you getting hurt.” Ryan knew that, but hearing his father say it once more made his heart sink. The prince sighed sadly.

“Yeah, yeah,” He mumbled.

To try to cheer him up, the King placed a hand on the Prince’s shoulder as the gate opened and the carriage left the kingdom, leaving the townspeople and the handsome boy Ryan had seen behind.

The entire meeting, Ryan nodded along, looking like he was listening, but he wasn’t, not really. He was thinking about the boy he’d seen earlier, how much he wished he could play with the other children his age, just like a townsperson. Who came up with the idea that princes shouldn’t have many friends, anyways? It was stupid, Ryan decided.

As he laid in bed that night, staring at the ceiling, he couldn’t stop thinking about that stupid boy again. Exasperated with himself and his thirsty thoughts, the prince came up with a plan. It would be risky; Ryan was an obedient son and prince, and he had never done anything of the sort before, but he had a feeling it would give him a chance to see that boy again.

༉‧₊˚✧

The very next day, Prince Ryan found himself frustrated as he stared at all the clothing in his closet. He told his father that he wanted to take a few hours to walk through the woods; his reasoning being that yesterday’s negotiations left him feeling stressed and he needed a way to clear his mind a bit. Of course his father agreed, though it took a decent amount of convincing to let Ryan go out _alone_ , only doing so when he promised a million times that he’d personify the word “careful” and would only be gone between lunch and dinner.

He was only partially lying to be fair. Now he was tasked with the greatest difficulty of all, though, which was finding out how exactly he could use his own wardrobe to look like a commoner. He went through every single item he owned, eventually finding a white button down shirt and a pair of brown slacks that could just barely pass as casual. It was all about the way he wore it though, wasn’t it? 

He didn’t tuck in his shirt, as much as it made him feel weird after being practically trained to do so, but he looked down at himself and figured it was definitely the best he’d be able to do. So, now he had his outfit. Perfect. That was step one of his ridiculous plan. 

Getting out of the castle wasn’t as difficult as he thought it would be. He managed to slip through the quieter corridors until he made his way outside of the walls, through an exit he’d found with Jake back when they were kids. 

The walk to the village was, frankly, a little annoying. He hadn’t realized how _long_ it would take, his estimate being maybe 30 minutes. Which, sure, wasn’t _objectively_ a long time, but when you’re a prince who could probably be carried room to room if you desired, it’s a bit of a trek to make. He had barely been able to hop over the castle gate. Ryan was on his way to regretting his decision, anxiety welling up in his chest, when he saw the commotion of the square. He gasped, heart rate speeding up at the thought of being among those people. He was running then, adrenaline pumping through his veins, and he only thought to slow down once he was about to join the crowd. He hoped nobody noticed him running from the direction of the castle.

He looked out and saw what must’ve been at least a hundred people there, with stalls set up and men belting out prices of fish and fruits and meat. Ryan wandered the stalls, mesmerized, and stopped when he saw a bard performing in the center. He’d never heard such merry music, only truly able to hear music when it came to piano lessons, or the orchestras playing at balls. But this… was something completely new. 

The man was grinning as he sang, strumming some instrument he couldn’t quite name. He sang about adventures and friendship and the way it feels to sit down at a tavern after a long day of travels. It made his heart ache. He’d never had any of those, and probably never would have them. The only people in his life he could consider his friends were Jake and Steven. Aside from that… 

The song ended and the crowd cheered. Ryan saw them throwing change into a bucket next to the bard, pulling him out of his pessimistic thoughts to the exciting reality he was in. He’d heard of street performers making their earnings off of the coins donated by passersby, and he was all too eager to join in. He grabbed a random coin out of his pocket and copied what everyone else did, dropping it in the bucket as he walked by the bard, who was now thanking everyone and bowing. “You truly have a talent, sir,” Ryan told him as he dropped the coin in the bucket. The man smiled at him and nodded in thanks. Ryan dropped his gaze quickly, hoping not to maintain eye contact for so long, as to not get potentially noticed.

He continued through the crowd after that. He could probably sit and watch the marketplace all day if given the chance, just to soak up the everyday life everyone was experiencing. But he remembered the boy he saw, the one with the bored expression and paint covering his hands and forearms. He’d have to find this boy, but _how_ would he? 

Ryan wasn’t completely used to lying. He’d never really had to before; never saw the need. But he couldn’t exactly walk up and announce, _It is I, Prince Ryan Bergara, son of the great King Bergara, and I am here on Important Business to find the Pretty Boy I Saw Yesterday._ He couldn’t imagine that one working well. 

Instead, he walked up to an old man peddling fish and figured he’d ask for help. “Excuse me sir, I’m terribly sorry to interrupt. It’s just-- I have to find someone, there’s a message for me to deliver. Except, I’m not quite sure where he is. Do you know where I could find a young painter?” 

Ryan fully expected the man, who’d previously been hollering prices, to be rude and dismissive, or perhaps demand money for the information-- which he was fully willing to do. But the man smiled, revealing a few missing teeth, and wiped his hands on his apron. “You look a little young there. I’m guessing you’re new to the messenger job?” 

“U-uh, I um, yes, I am,” Ryan stumbled over his words. Since when was he such a mess? “This is my first time travelling to another kingdom to deliver a message you see, and I, um, I forgot to ask the address first? I just got so excited to be getting a real assignment that I accepted immediately, and now I’m in a bit of a rough spot.” 

The man beckoned Ryan closer with his fingers, then nodded to his left. “There’s a famous painter who lives here, actually. Joseph Bowman. Normally I’d assume that’s who you’re looking for, but you said a younger boy?” Ryan nodded in response. “You’re probably looking for one of his apprentices, then. He has two boys learning under him, never quite caught their names. One of ‘em is a real tall fellow, never knows how to clean the damn paint off his hands. Other one’s a shorter guy, dresses _much_ better than the first apprentice. Want directions to the studio?” 

Ryan nodded hastily, and listened to every word as the man explained the way. When he was done, Ryan felt overjoyed with gratefulness. “Thank you so much, sir, I really appreciate your help. Is there-- do you want me to buy something from you?” 

The man laughed and clapped a hand on Ryan’s shoulder. He tried not to flinch at the thought of those hands being covered in fish guts. “You don’t need to give me anythin’, son. Good luck, and I hope you remember to ask for a name and address in the future.” 

Ryan stuttered out his final thanks before rushing off in the direction the man had indicated. He wasn’t sure how much time he had left, but he’d rather not chance it. 

After following the directions exactly, he found himself at a two story cottage. There was a sign out front, reading _Bowman studio_. He knocked on the door, heart slamming itself against his ribs as he waited for an answer. 

At first there was silence. Then he heard footsteps coming closer, and was ready to back out completely, just turn around and run all the way back to the castle, but then the door was opened and lo and behold, it was The Pretty Boy He Saw Yesterday. “Hello there sir, anything I can do to help you?” 

Ryan felt himself go fully speechless. He had to look up enough that he was close to hurting his neck, doing so granting him one of the sweetest sights the world has to offer.The boy had on a worn white shirt, with a few buttons undone exposing his chest. The collar was crooked, and the shirt itself was covered in paint stains. The sleeves were rolled up-- in a way that made Ryan’s brain scream _that’s gonna wrinkle!_ \-- exposing his forearms that probably had as much paint as the canvas the boy was working on. His hands were covered in blues, greens, and varying shades of yellow. He had light and fluffy brown hair, with a paintbrush tucked behind his ear. But best of all, he was smiling down at Ryan, in a way that had his eyes crinkling at the corners. 

Ryan’s brain shortcircuited. 

“I-I um, I have… important, uh…” He was at a total loss for words, and felt heat rising in his cheeks. 

The tall painter just laughed, but not in a way that was mocking. It was a sweet laugh; it sounded like honey and daffodils. “Why don’t you come on in? I’m painting on the back porch. Way too hot inside right now.” 

Ryan nodded a little too enthusiastically and followed. He couldn’t stop the way his eyes jumped around the room, taking in the various easels with half finished projects on them, and canvases laid against the wall. The boy sat down on a stool in front of a half finished canvas, hands clasped over his knees. “So, mind if I ask why you’re here?” 

Ryan wasn’t really sure if he remembered how to speak words anymore. “Ummm I uh, I lost my dog, and you’re really pretty-- I mean, what? I didn’t just say that.” He scratched the back of his neck and forced out some anxious laughter, feeling his face start to heat up again. _Fuck, Ryan, you’re fucking it up, what are you doing?_

The boy smiled at Ryan and only said, “you’re not too bad yourself, sweetheart,” before going back to painting a butterfly on the fence enclosing the porch. Ryan’s brain takes a few seconds to reboot, his whole system rewiring itself as the painter made a few quick strokes, finishing the part of the painting he was doing. After a moment of Ryan staring in disbelief, the boy put his brush down. He then stood up, wiped his hands on his thighs (nothing came off), and offered a hand to Ryan. “Might I get your name?”

“Uh, it’s, um… m-my name is… Ricky.” 

“Ricky?” The boy repeated, eyebrows raised. 

“Y-yeah, Ricky Goldsworth.” 

Ryan could tell the painter’s apprentice didn’t believe him as he stuck his own hand out to shake. Regardless, though, the boy took Ryan’s hand, bowed, and pressed a gentle kiss to his knuckles. “Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” 

If this boy kept it up, Ryan would probably have a stroke. It makes his face burn intensely, surely looking like a tomato, and he couldn’t handle all of this. For the past 16 years, he’d never been flirted with, never had someone call him sweetheart or kiss his hand like some fair maiden. It crossed the wires in his brain that kept everything running smoothly, put his normal sense of rationality into a whirlwind of different emotions, ones he’d never felt so intensely. Instead of staying here with this beautiful specimen of a human being, Ryan stuttered out, “I just found my dog,” and bolted. He got ten steps away when he tripped over himself and landed flat on his ass, in the middle of the studio.

The beautiful painter followed him, and Ryan could see him trying to suppress a laugh. The boy reaches a hand out and starts talking. “Here, let me help you up--”

“Nope, I got it!” Ryan says immediately, feeling flustered beyond comparison. 

The boy helps him up anyways. 

When Ryan’s fully standing again, the boy doesn’t pull his hand away immediately, instead holds on. They’re standing much closer now, Ryan having to crane his neck all the way up to make eye contact. And the artist is smiling, features soft. Ryan tries to think of something to say, or anything to say, but he feels himself get overwhelmed by everything going on, and while he wanted to let this boy know how beautiful he is and how much Ryan loves his hair, instead he mumbled, “I gotta go now, sorry,” and took off. 

He made the walk back home, going through the village just to get reimursed in the culture, the livelihood, before returning to the woods.

He arrived home just in time for dinner. When his father asked him what he had been up to outside, he simply said he ran around in the meadow and spied on a rabbit family by the pond. His family seemed to believe him, so they didn’t prod too much after that, which Ryan thought was a relief.

He slept very peacefully on his plush bed that night, dreaming of honey brown hair and deep forest eyes, and a lopsided smile that would make anyone swoon.


	2. II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ryan decides to visit Shane again.

The next day, the moon was high in the deep blue sky, and the stars shone beautifully. It was almost midnight. Ryan wiped a bout of sweat off of his brow, taking deep breaths. He slid open his bedroom door with a creak, then quietly tiptoed out and into the halls. He couldn’t help it; as much as he had tried to sleep that night he kept thinking about the town, about the boy. He didn't even catch his name! What kind of prince would he be if he couldn’t even get his acquaintances' names? He had to go out and meet him again. He wondered if it was crazy to be doing this at 1 a.m. He concluded that yeah, it probably was, but he was doing it anyways. 

Earlier, after he had arrived back from his outing, he’d told Steven all about his adventure and the boy. Steven seemed very wary. “Ryan, what if you get hurt out there?” He asked.

“Hurt?” Ryan scoffed. “I’m not gonna get hurt, Steven.” Nobody even knows I’m the prince! I’m going back there tonight.” He sighed, a dreamy look in his eyes. 

Steven gasped. “Tonight?” He cried, “But something could happen to you! You could get caught! Torn apart by thugs! Or worse, killed!”

“I’ll be okay, Steven, I promise,” Ryan assured his advisor. “You’ll cover for me, right?” He started to gather some coins he had leftover on his desk, putting them into his pockets just in case.

“Of course, sir,” Steven assured him, although not looking very assured himself. “I’m just worried. What if the King catches you? You might get in trouble.” Not to mention, Ryan knew that his father was strict when it came to what Steven could and couldn't allow Ryan to do, and he knew that Steven himself might get fired as well.

Ryan shook his head. “Dad’s too busy with his dumb king stuff to worry about me. I’ll be fine.” he mussed up his normally slicked back hair a bit, hoping it would look more like the hairstyle of a commoner. “Steven?” He turned to his worrisome advisor.

“Yes, sir?”

“Don’t worry about me too much. I’ll be okay. Promise.” Ryan gave the man a smile before going to head out the door.

He crept down the halls with as much grace as possible, leaving through the same door as yesterday. Avoiding the guards was a bit of a challenge, but the fact that he grew up around these guards and knew their every move worked in his favor.

He ran through the town, vacant except for a few markets still open and some windows still casting yellow light onto the streets. He was out of breath by the time he arrived at Bowman Studio, and put his hands on his knees, gasping. He knew that it probably wouldn’t be a good idea to knock on the door at this hour, so, like a fucking creep, he started peering through the windows. He tiptoed around the house, but every one was dark. Except for one. Surely enough, near the back, a window was casting light, and Ryan peered through it to see the handsome boy he talked to earlier, still painting the same picture of a butterfly. It looked much more detailed, though; the boy had made lots of progress. Ryan wondered why he was up so late. Curious, he taped on the window. The boy jumped in his seat and whipped his head towards the window. When they locked eyes, the surprise on his face grew.

He rushed over to the window where Ryan was looking at him with curious eyes and opened the window. “Ricky?” He asked, looking extremely confused.

Suddenly, words wouldn’t leave Ryan’s mouth correctly. “Uh, um, hi, I found my dog.”

The boy laughed, a beautiful sound, and butterflies fluttered their wings inside of Ryan’s stomach. “I know,” He said, his tone somewhat fond if Ryan heard correctly, “You told me that already.”

“Oh.”

The boy laughed again. “You wanna come inside?” Ryan nodded vigorously. His legs were tired from all the walking. “Come to the door. You gotta be quiet, though. My friend and our master are sleeping.” Ryan nodded again, and he headed around the house to the doorstep, where, after a moment of waiting, the boy let him in.

Once let in, the boy led Ryan to his room, where he had brought the prince earlier. “So,” the boy sat on his wooden stool in front of his canvas, crossing his arms in a way that made Ryan gulp. “What brings you here again?”

“Uh, well,” _Spit it out, Ryan. Just tell him_. “I’m actually Prince Ryan Bergara and I wasn’t looking for my dog because I don’t actually have a dog but I saw you in the town while on the carriage and I thought ‘wow, he’s really pretty,’ so I begged my dad to let me go outside and when I got outside I sneaked into the town and found you and you’re like really handsome and I couldn’t stop thinking about you so--”

Ryan’s word vomit was cut off by the boy going “Woah, woah!” And putting his two large hands on each of Ryan’s shoulders. Ryan went speechless at the contact, completely forgetting whatever he was going to say next, and slowly looked into the painter’s warm, honey eyes. “Your highness,” he said gently, a smile on his face, “I knew you were the Prince.”

Now it was Ryan’s turn to be surprised. “You what?”

The artist laughed once again, bright and airy and beautiful. “I knew. I know what your face looks like. I’ve studied paintings of your family for years now. I recognized you.”

“Fuck,” Ryan muttered. Apparently he wasn’t a great liar, or a good actor. He’d have to work on that someday. Then he realized he didn’t even know this man’s name. He had abandoned ship before he could even introduce himself. “Um… your name… I never got it.”

“Mhm. Too busy looking for your dog,” The boy teased, a glint in his eye. He held out his hand to shake. “I’m Shane. Shane Madej. I’m Sir Joseph Bowman’s apprentice. I’m sure you’ve heard of him.” 

Ryan nodded, taking Shane’s hand, letting in the warmth it gave him. He gave a clumsy shake, and after a couple moments too long to be considered normal of hand holding, he let go, wiping his sweaty palms on his dress pants. “Did you come stare at me through the window at 1 in the morning just to see me paint again?” Shane asked, once the moment was over.

“Yes, actually,” It was half true, the other half of Ryan went to see Shane because, well, you can never get enough of a pretty thing. “You’re very talented.” He observed the artwork, the blues, greens, pinks and yellows so delicately painted on. 

Shane chuckled. “Thanks,” He replied, “You know, showing up to someone’s house in the wee hours of the morning just to watch them paint isn’t a thing most people do.”

Ryan flushed pink. “Oh.”

“It’s alright, though, your highness, I’m very flattered. I think it’s cute.” _Cute?_ Ryan’s heart stuttered at the sweet compliment.

“You can just call me Ryan, if you want,” The prince said as Shane picked up his palette and paintbrush again, dipping it into an orange-y hue and painting it onto the canvas.

“Sure thing, your highness,” Shane replied absentmindedly, not looking away from the canvas. Ryan huffed. _Tease_. “You can sit down on my bed if you want. You look weird standing there doing nothing.”

Ryan gaped. “You can’t even see me!”

“Yeah, but you probably look funny.”

Ryan blushed and huffed again, crossing his arms in defense and sitting down on Shane’s bed. It was full-size, and not as comfy and plush as Ryan’s, but it wasn’t bad. There were a couple minutes where neither boy spoke, and there were no sounds except for the soft scrape of brush against canvas, and the crickets outside. 

After a while, Ryan finally spoke. “Why are you working so late at night?”

Shane sighed, sounding tired and quite weary. “This is a commission from a very wealthy townsperson. They requested I give this to them by tomorrow at noon. I have to make it perfect.”

Ryan nodded. “Why can’t the person just wait until you're finished?”

“Rich people have deadlines, Your Highness. I can’t negotiate with them. I’m just an apprentice.”

“Well, you’re incredible.” Ryan retorted. “If I were to commission you I’d give you all the time in the world.”

He saw the painter’s mouth widen into a smile. “That’s very sweet of you.”

“What are you painting?”

“A butterfly on top of some flowers. It’s an orange sulphur.” Shane explained. He turned to Ryan and pointed to an old-looking book on his bedside table. “That’s a butterfly guide I got as a Christmas present a while ago. You can look through it, but be gentle with it. It’s quite fascinating.” Ryan could tell Shane was passionate about the winged creatures. He grabbed the pastel green book off of the bedside table, and started to flip through the delicate pages. All the butterflies drawn and written about in the book looked wonderful and beautiful. He understood why Shane wanted to paint them.

“Shane, these are beautiful.” He exclaimed, absolutely fascinated.

“I know. I love butterflies. I’d like to have a framed one on a wall someday.” He felt a dip in the bed beside him, suddenly, and realized Shane had come to sit down next to him on the bed. Like, right next to him. Their shoulders and hips were touching. The contact made Ryan giddy. Shane’s eyes met his for a moment, and they shared a quiet smile (that made Ryan’s stomach flutter, of course) before Shane turned to his painting. “Is there anything wrong with this? I feel like there might be but I can’t quite place it.”

Ryan furrowed his brows in disbelief, turning towards the painting as well to study it for a moment. It was breathtaking. Ryan was no professional painter, but Shane’s technique and his ability to use colors to his advantage was amazing. The painting was so easy and stunning to look at. Ryan, to tell the truth, couldn’t find a single flaw in it. “Are you kidding?” Ryan laughed, quietly as to not wake the other residents of the house. “It’s amazing, Shane! You’re so talented, I totally understand why famous people would want to commission you.”

Shane hummed, not quite believing the prince. “Are you sure?”

“ _Yes!_ ” 

Shane turned to him, looking like he was about to say something, when suddenly, a thump sounded from the other room. The two boys heard a more feminine voice call “Shane! Is someone in there with you?”

“No, I’m just talking to myself!” Shane called back. Then he turned back to the prince. “You probably have to go now, your highness. My friend is gonna get my ass kicked if our master figures out that you’re here.” Ryan’s heart sank, and he looked down at his lap. He was about to apologize for even coming when he felt Shane lean in and whisper in his ear, “ _You can come back tomorrow night if you’d like._ ”

Ryan could barely contain the shiver that ran down his spine from Shane’s low voice. He nodded, a smile growing on his face from the fact that Shane actually wanted to see him. “Are you sure?” He asked, just to clarify. “And _please_ just call me Ryan.”

The apprentice laughed, as if Ryan’s question was ridiculous. “You’re really funny,” He said, “and I enjoy your company. You’re cute, Ryan. I’d like to see you again. Please visit tomorrow night. I’ll definitely be up.”

Ryan’s heart lifted, and he gasped at Shane’s willingness. “O-of course!” He stammered, delighted. “I’ll definitely come tomorrow! Same time if you want! I’ll be ready!” This made Shane laugh again.

“Maybe come around midnight this time, that okay?” Ryan nodded vigorously. Shane went to blow out the candle and said quietly, “Now shoo. Go back to your big fancy castle. Don’t want your parents to catch you.”

Ryan giggled. “Okay, see ya.”

“See ya.”

And with that, Shane opened a window for Ryan to hop out of. Thankfully, Shane’s bedroom was on the first floor, so there wasn't much of a fall. Ryan landed safely, and he made his way back into the forest, towards the castle. He was a little worried that since it was dark out he might get lost, but he only had to go one direction, so he got to the castle gates safely, where he climbed over and ran back towards the castle walls, to his little outing.

He made the way up the back stairs and through the halls as quiet as possible so that he wouldn’t be heard, and made his way back to his bedroom. He was thankful that his bedroom door didn’t creak like it used to. He changed, got into his pajamas, and crawled into bed, a flush still high on his cheeks and a smile still on his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next chapter will be longer, we promise :D
> 
> our tumblrs:  
> femmebergara  
> bradpistachio


	3. III

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ryan meets Shane again that night. The next day is eventful for him.

By the second night Ryan found himself squeezing through the small hole in the wall, Ryan’s heart raced a little less at the whole situation. 

He still felt nervous. There was always the threat of being caught on his way out, or of getting hurt with no way to explain it. But the fear morphed into exhilaration. In the past three days he’d experienced more in the town than he probably had in his whole life. Sure, he left the castle for balls and ceremonies, but it was always the same thing. The same food, same clothes, same faces. There was always the weird social games you had to play, the invisible mask strapped tight around your face that you had to adhere to. It was exhausting. Every conversation felt like a chess game. 

Even if he’s only talked to Shane a few times, it was a completely different world. It was hard for Ryan to fully relax, but it didn’t take long. His easy-going nature was infectious. 

He ran through the village as usual, impatient to see Shane. He loved the noise it made against the cobble streets, the feeling of uneven stone through the bottoms of his shoes. He forgot to slow down before reaching Shane’s (or Joseph Bowman’s) house, out of breath when he got to the door. He did so and felt his heart sink when there was no light coming from any of the windows. Should he wake Shane up? Would that be rude? 

Ryan was debating his next actions, chewing the bottom of his lip thoughtfully when the door opened, Shane whisper-shouting “I’m not meeting _anyone_ , Sara, I’m just gonna go walk by the lake because I can’t sleep.”

It was hard to hear at their volume, but Ryan made out a muffled “Bull _shit_ you are, you always paint when you can’t sleep.” 

Ryan looked up at the stars, trying to make shapes out of the clusters of light.

“I’m just mixing things up a little!” Shane answered, and Ryan heard him start closing the door. “Just go to bed.” 

Ryan had his hands in his pockets and still held a staring contest with the night he heard Shane say, “you just nearly blew my cover there.” 

Ryan looked at Shane and was beaming already, just seeing him there. “Hi,” Ryan breathed out dumbly. “I like your um… your face. It looks nice today.” 

Shane laughed into his fist. Ryan didn’t like that he was stifling such a pretty sound. “Thanks, I worked hard growing it. Had to go through pimples and everything.” He walked down the stairs smiling. “I like your face too, though.” 

“Um that’s, that’s good. Great to hear.” 

Shane laughed and started walking away. Ryan was confused, and felt his heart drop a few feet down. That was until Shane looked back and asked, “aren’t you coming?”

Ryan followed eagerly at that, almost tripping over himself in his effort to catch up to Shane. “Where are we going?” 

“Well I wasn’t lying earlier. I do wanna go take a walk by the lake.”

“I’m not sure if I’ve ever been to a lake before.” 

Shane’s eyes lit up. “Well then what the fuck are we wasting time for? It’s a full moon! This is the perfect night for it!” 

Before Ryan had a full grasp on reality Shane grabbed his wrist and was pulling him through the forest. He had to run to keep up, at some point going to holding hands with Shane. He barely processed anything as he felt the uneven dirt and stones in the soles of his feet, as pine needles brushed against his exposed forearms and twigs snapped. He focused on Shane’s fingers wrapped around his hand, how beautiful he looked with a wild smile on his face. Ryan felt an ache deep in his chest.

They stopped running after a while, slowing down to more of a walk. Shane didn’t let go of Ryan’s hand. He curled his fingers around Shane’s a little tighter. “So who’s the person you were talking to?” 

Shane hummed and looked over at Ryan. “What do you mean?”

“Before you came outside. Is it a girl?”

Shane sucked in a breath. “That’s a complicated question.”

“How can that _possibly_ be complicated?”

“Dunno, just is.” Ryan was confused but he didn’t press it. He was still getting used to what was considered rude with Shane. What he said before would definitely have been rude to anyone else he’s talked to before. 

They took a few more steps before Ryan saw the lake. And, yeah. It was breathtaking. It had to be at least half a mile, the water completely still. It held the moon’s reflection so gently, and Ryan found himself stepping forward without thinking about it. “Can I, like… touch it?”

Shane started laughing, then stopped when he saw Ryan was serious. “It’s water, Ryan, what do you mean?”

“I don’t know! I’ve been on a boat maybe once in my life, and that’s the closest I’ve come to a body of water this big.”

“I don’t understand how that even happens. Shouldn’t you be allowed to go, like, ‘I’m the prince, I would like This Water Right Now. Submerge my body, please.’”

Ryan laughed a little bit and shrugged. “It’s dangerous and improper to bathe in open waters or whatever.”

“So you’ve never swam?”

Ryan shook his head. “No idea how to.” 

“You should try it.”

“Oh, no. A million times no.” 

“But Ryan! It would be so fun.” 

“Sorry, I don’t exactly want to fucking die, thank you.”

“You wouldn’t die! I’ll be right next to you the whole time. I grew up in a coastal village, I’ve always been surrounded by water.”

“My answer is still a no.” Ryan would’ve crossed his arms if he wasn’t still holding Shane’s hand. Who was now whining like a child wanting a toy.

“Ryannnnn come on!” A beat of silence. Then, “what if you put just your feet in? We’ll take off our shoes, roll up our pants, and just sit on the edge with our feet in the water.”

Ryan pursed his lips, thinking. But he also saw Shane’s face, his eyes wide and pleading, and he didn’t have much of a way to counter it. “Is it cold?” 

Shane’s face broke into the world’s most beautiful smile at that, and Ryan was completely convinced he’d let Shane drown him with his own two hands if it meant he’d be watching that smile. 

“Maybe a little, ‘cause it’s dark out. But it feels nice. ‘Specially when it’s so hot.” Shane started walking and Ryan followed, feeling vaguely like a dog as he stayed just a step behind Shane, coming to sit on a rock with him.

They took their shoes off and placed them behind them. Ryan watched Shane first, the way he didn’t hesitate before dangling his legs off the side of the rock. Ryan followed after a few seconds.

The water was cool, but not enough to make him want to pull away. Ryan found himself pressed against Shane’s side, focusing on the smooth feeling of the lake rather than the way his face burned. The edge of Shane’s pinky overlapped with Ryan’s where their hands lay on the rocks, and Ryan wanted so badly to hold his hand. He wasn’t sure if he was brave enough yet, though. Instead he looked up at the stars.

“Beautiful,” he heard Shane say, voice just above a whisper. 

“Yeah, the stars look so clear tonight. And the moon is… breathtaking.” Ryan looked over, maybe to watch the way Shane took in the night sky, but was met with an intense, unwavering gaze, locked on him. His eyes were soft, studious, like he was analyzing Ryan or committing him to memory. It made his face burn hot, much worse than before, and he ended up averting his eyes. He looked back over for a few seconds and Shane still had the same look on his face. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Like what?” Shane asked, and Ryan was having trouble deciding whether he was acting oblivious or was genuine. 

“Like _that_.” 

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Shane said, but he started smiling. 

“You’re a bastard, Shane Madej.”

Shane finally broke and started laughing. “I’m sorry, I can’t help it! I like it when you blush.” 

“How can you even see that!”

“I can’t really, but I can sense it.” 

Ryan flipped him off, but Shane still laughed. He dropped his hand back to the rock and looked back at the lake, pouting only slightly. Shane reached out and lightly pinched his cheek. “Aw, c’mon. Cheer up, your highness.” Ryan gave Shane his best death glare, but it was ignored. “Wow, your face is hot. You feeling okay?” 

“Such a dick,” Ryan said, shaking his head. Shane dropped his hand with a final snort, looking up at the sky. A few of his fingers were on top of Ryan’s. He wanted to take Shane’s hand and hold it, to lace their fingers together, see Shane’s slim and delicate fingers intertwined with his. But he wasn’t feeling brave enough.

So instead Ryan looked up at the stars again. 

He remembered the astronomy lessons from his tutor, when they went over things like the heliocentric model of the earth, and what his tutor told him about the stories the Greeks made up about the stars. He always liked those stories. Did Shane know about astrology? Ryan would love to show him some of his books, explaining the constellations. 

“So,” Shane started, and Ryan felt his hand shift, sitting fully on top of Ryan’s. It effectively brought him out of his mind. “You live a seriously sheltered life, huh?”

“You don’t know the half of it. I don’t even know what I’m missing. This… everything about the village, every ounce of your world that you’ve shown me, this is all brand new. Sure I’ve been in the fields around the castle, I would play in the meadow with Jake-- sorry, Jake’s my brother-- but that was the closest I ever came to leaving. When I did venture outside of the castle it’d be for royal balls, dinner with noblemen, or just general bureaucratic bullshit.” Ryan kicked his feet a little, feeling the water surge and dispel at his movement. “I’ve obviously never met anyone like _you_.” Ryan looked up at Shane then, who was staring so intensely, like he was hanging on to every drop, absorbing every syllable. 

Shane frowned. “What, a commoner?” 

“No, not just that. I mean, you’re…” Ryan sighed, and he was sure he sounded like a lovesick character in a play when he did so. “I don’t even know what the right words are. You’re nothing like anybody else I’ve met. You’re genuine, and sincere, and it’s like… you’ve lived so many more lives than me in the same amount of time.” He wasn’t sure why he felt the need to tiptoe around his words. Some fear that he didn’t fully recognize held him back from saying every other syrupy thought.

Ryan couldn’t tell what emotion he saw on Shane’s face then, a confusing conglomeration of disappointment and acceptance. Which he didn’t understand one bit. He was going to ask, to try and do _something_ about the crestfallen look on his face, but it was gone in a second. He turned to Ryan, inquisitive, and tilted his head to the side.

“So, you’re not allowed to go outside? What do you do?”

Ryan hesitated. He wanted to ask about Shane having looked upset, but he could tell when someone was trying to change the topic. (he wasn’t that socially inept.) “Well, I study a lot. I spend maybe four hours a day with my tutor? Except for Saturday and Sunday. I’m also being taught the piano, but I only see my instructor twice a week.”

“Oh shit, that’s so cool. What do you study?”

“Um… most things? I study old writing, mathematics, which has all that stuff like arithmetic, calculus, geography and trigonometry, there’s astronomy, biology, physical science, um… oh, a lot of old history too.” 

Shane was silent for a few moments, face unreadable. “I don’t even know what half of those words are, damn. I’ve heard about some of them, though. What’s your favourite?”

“That’s a hard question. I like learning about astronomy, and what people used to think. The Greeks came up with intricate stories for the stars, about which gods’ they related to and how the constellations got there. I love all the stories.” 

Ryan could’ve kept talking about the stars, probably could’ve gone on for an hour, but he felt something touch his foot in the water. He screamed, then, much too loud for it being so late at night, and scrambled away from the water (and towards Shane). “WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?” He yelled, looking at Shane with wide eyes.

And Shane, ever the bastard, was laughing his ass completely off. “You want me to go see?”

“FUCK no I don’t!” 

Shane was still laughing himself to the point of tears, which was fine and dandy, until he wrapped an arm around Ryan’s shoulders and let it hang there. “Jesus Christ, I, you jumped like you saw a ghost or something, that was fucking hilarious. 

Ryan’s heart was already pounding hard in his chest from the brief fear that gripped him a second ago, but now as he felt his cheeks burning it beat fast for a different reason. “I-I, well you, I’m, um,” he had to take a second to breathe so he wouldn’t keep stumbling over his words. “I-I have never been on a lake! This is not something I’m used to!” 

Shane was still laughing, but Ryan’s mind was blank, in every way shape and form, save for the heavy warmth on his shoulders, and the way Shane’s hand was just sitting there, fingers grazing Ryan’s collarbone. He noticed, distantly, the cool rock against the soles of his feet, his arm pressed up against Shane’s chest, the slight breeze that picked up. When he looked over at Shane, he realized that he’d been talking, and he just completely forgot to listen.

“Sorry, what was that? I-I, uh, I zoned out for a second.”

Shane had this dopey smile on his face, and laughed again, a picture of pure bliss. “I was saying that there’s fish in the water. They get curious.”

“I fucking hate that. Make them go away.”

“Make them--” Shane wheezed, head thrown back. “Make them go away? What am I, a god?” 

_I mean, basically,_ Ryan thought, looking up at Shane whose _arm was still around his shoulder and was touching his collar and--_

“Well well, consider me charmed,” Shane said, and he had a smirk on his face like he knew Ryan hadn’t meant to say that one out loud.

Ryan blushed and spluttered his way through what would barely qualify as an explanation. “I’m, you’re, I mean because you’re like, um, very tall, which is like, not human, so you’re um, you’re either like a-a god, or a demon, because that-that’s just, umm… unnatural.” 

Shane laughed again, and Ryan felt like he was trapped in honey with the way Shane’s eyes held his. 

The arm was removed from around his shoulder, and Ryan tried to hide the fact that he missed it. 

“Didn’t mean to make you so flustered, there.”

“Shut up! I’m not flustered,” Ryan lied, as a few branches were added to the fire spreading out across his face and neck. 

“Ryan, it is dark as shit out, and I can _still_ tell how hard you’re blushing.”

“I’m not blushing! This is my normal state of being!” 

“Alright, if you say so,” Shane conceded, in a way that sounded entirely fake. “Your face is just that hot always.” 

“Oh my god.”

“That’s me, baby!”

“Shane I’m literally gonna--” Ryan reached out and swatted Shane’s arm, while he laughed his ass right off. 

Shane didn’t press any further, and they faded into silence. Ryan brought his knees up to his chest, arms crossed over them, while Shane decided to lie down completely on the rocks, using his arms as a pillow. He watched the way Shane’s shirt rode up a bit, exposing some of his stomach. He’d always seemed lean and toned, from the way that Ryan absolutely didn’t stare at his forearms with the sleeves of his shirt rolled up, but he could see the muscles defined there, highlighted by the moon. 

He tore his eyes away to meet Shane’s, somewhat caught in the act. All Shane did was raise an eyebrow, but Ryan looked away, to his left, not willing to look at Shane’s voice. For a while, the two sat there in silence, enjoying the soft sounds of the lake, the trees rustling, and the singing crickets.

At some point Ryan started yawning, though he desperately tried to cover it up. Shane noticed anyways, of course he did, and sat up with a grunt. “You feeling tired, your highness?”

“Ugh, I wish you wouldn’t call me that. But no, I’m not tired, just uh…” Ryan scrunched his face up, trying to come up with a believable lie. “Breathing very deeply.” 

“Bullshit,” Shane laughed standing up. He reached for one of Ryan’s hands once he was on his feet, and Ryan was forced to look all the way up at Shane. It took him a few seconds to actually grab Shane’s hand, who pulled him up with more force than necessary. Ryan stumbled a bit, standing much too close to Shane for his heart rate to enjoy, but Shane just steadied him, smiled, and stepped back. “C’mon, let’s get you home.” 

“I don’t wanna go yet, though,” Ryan all but whined. “I like talking to you.” 

“C’mon, how’re you gonna do your princely duties if you’re all tired?” Then Shane had the absolute _audacity_ to ruffle Ryan’s hair. He let out a high pitched sound at that, one that some would call a “squeak,” but Ryan would much prefer something more dignifying, like “an A5 on the piano.”

“Oh sorry, what was that?” Shane asked, putting a hand up to his ear. 

“I want you to know that, in every possible definition of the word, you are a bastard.” 

“Aww look at us, giving each other nicknames like God and Bastard. I’m gonna need one for you!” Shane picked up his shoes and started trying to wiggle his foot into them. “Maybe I’ll call you _myszko_ , ‘cause of that little squeak.” 

“What the hell does that mean?” Ryan scoffed.

Shane grinned, all teeth. “Little mouse.”

“I am not a fucking mouse!” Ryan said in a voice that could be considered whiney, blushing again. “A-And I did not squeak!” 

“I’m not sure, the records beg to differ. Better get your shoes on, _myszko_.”

“If you start calling me that I’ll kill you,” Ryan said, but started putting on his socks (which was a minor challenge while standing). “Just straight up strangle you, bare hands.” 

“You could never. I’m too fast. I would simply jump out of your way.” 

“You’re so stupid.” 

“Get your shoes on, Ryan!” Shane yelled, ignoring his insults. “We have places to be, beds to sleep in.” 

“Alright, alright,” Ryan said, hands up. “Only because you were so polite about it.”

“Polite’s my middle name. Mr. God Polite Madej.” 

“You’re not gonna let that go?”

“Not in a million years. I’ll be somewhere in India, living it up, and writing you letters signed ‘yours truly, God.’” 

“Why the fuck would you be in India?” 

Shane shrugged. “It was the first country that came to mind.” 

Ryan couldn’t help the smile that came to his eyes, shoes finally on. “An absolute idiot.” 

But they were both laughing, and paused for a moment. Ryan was looking up at Shane, something in his rib cage aching, before Shane decided to start walking again. 

The path they took was only slightly cleared out, obvious that whoever the locals were travelled it frequently, but the grass still brushed against his pants and branches grazed his arms. Shane walked shoulder to shoulder with him, and Ryan really wished he’d take his hand again. In fact he spent most of the walk back to the studio thinking about that, the rest of it just watching Shane’s face and talking with him. 

He regretted that he didn’t fill the space with asking questions when they were just a few meters away from the studio, and Ryan had to say goodbye. It was certainly one of the first times they’ve had a mutually awkward moment, where neither of them knew what to say but searched desperately. Eventually Ryan was able to break the silence, though. “I um, I hope you sleep well and all. Can I come back tomorrow?” 

Shane smiled sweetly at Ryan. “Yeah, I’d like that.” 

-♡-

Ryan wakes up the next morning bright and early, a pep in his step and feeling over the moon. His heart was still fluttering over what had happened last night. A smile was on his face as he rose out of bed, shuffling into his slippers and walking over to his wardrobe. Memories of last night filled the prince’s mind. It must be love he is feeling for Shane, right? All the stories about true love must be true, this has to be what he’s feeling! He put on a cotton white button up, some brown dresspants, and shiny, jet-black shoes. He combed his hair extra nicely, because why not groom yourself when you’re over the moon?

Ryan knew he had an hour or two until breakfast, and rushed to the royal library, no time to lose. Reading was his one escape; he went to the library at least three times a week and would stay there for hours, exploring life outside the castle. He read mostly anything he could, but he especially loved plays and poems-- his all time favorite had to be Shakespeare. Now that he was able to sneak out and experience the outdoors, those kinds of books wouldn't be of much use to him. But he could read all about the psychology of love; how to flirt, woo, seduce, and most importantly, if he was actually in love.

The library was grand. Multiple stories, with ladders and ledges. It was a place Ryan loved to be in, and loved to explore. It felt more like home than any other place in the castle. He nodded a hello to the library’s caretaker, Vivian, and went to the section about romance. He skimmed through the plays, searching for something that would catch his eye. Finally, he saw it: ‘Romantic Attractions.’ He reached up on his tip toes and snatched the crimson-colored book off of the shelf, the title in pretty gold lettering and the material soft to the touch. He immediately rushed to one of the soft, plush couches to read it.

Once he opened the book, he read through it for a while. It was very interesting. He was disappointed, though, because there wasn’t any information about what to do if you were a man loving another man, or even a woman loving another woman. It was just men loving women, and vice versa. _That makes no sense,_ Ryan thought to himself, frustrated. This was a book about love, wasn’t it? Why wasn’t it talking about the love he was feeling? _Maybe it isn’t love for Shane I’m feeling… maybe I just really want to be his friend,_ he reasoned. But how would that explain the butterflies, or the blush on his face whenever the young apprentice smiled at him or called him beautiful. It had to be love. Romantic, true love. Maybe the information he was seeking was just in a different book.

So Ryan picked another book off the shelf.

And another.

And another.

And another.

None of the books had any information or even mention of men liking other men. Ryan groaned, placing yet another book down on the couch. At this rate, he’d never find anything even remotely useful. The information in the books seemed useful, of course, but sometimes things would play out differently because the person he wanted to woo was not a woman.

“You need help, your highness?” Ryan saw Vivian turn a corner and look at him with a concerned expression.

Ryan shook his head. “Do you have any books on romantic love that focuses on two men loving each other?”

Vivian’s eyes widened. “I’m sorry, your highness. We don’t. I don’t think your mother would allow it.”

Ryan wanted to ask what the hell the librarian meant by that, but Vivian scuttled away before he could open his mouth.

Breakfast time came, and Ryan was ushered by a butler into the grand dining room, where he greeted his parents with a smile. Servants were placing plates of food onto the table, and Ryan took his seat beside his parents. 

“Good morning, Ryan,” His father greeted him.

“Morning, dad.” Ryan smiled, mouth watering at the pancakes laid out in front of him.

“What were you up so early for?” His mother teased.

“Oh, I was in the library!” Ryan said, grabbing his fork and digging into the food. 

His mother sighed, “As per usual.” Ryan shrugged. “What were you doing in there?” She asked him.

“Oh, just… reading about… butterflies!” Ryan decided lying would save him a lot of explanation.

His mother raised her eyebrows. “Butterflies?”

“Uh, yeah! They’re very interesting. And they’re so carefree all the time… I wonder what that’s like.”

His mother snorted at his last comment. “You don’t know the half of it, dear Ryan.”

Ryan frowned. His mother barely even did anything, she usually left it up to his father. And Ryan literally is going to be doing all the stressful, awfully boring things his father does every day for the rest of his life when he’s crowned king. What did she mean by Ryan “didn’t know the half” of being careworn? It made no sense to him, but he just sat and ate his food instead of inquiring any more. When his mother was angry at him, she was _angry_. Once she got so angry at him for yelling at his brother that she banished him to his room for a week. Without Steven to aid him. It was horrible. Ryan decided not to say anything, finishing his breakfast quicker than usual, getting up and going back to his room to see what activities he had to do for the day.

\--

As the sun started to set that night, and his princely duties had been done for the day, Steven and Ryan made their way back to Ryan’s bedroom. Ryan flopped down onto his big bed, quite dramatically. “Steven!” He exclaimed.

Steven sighed, used to Ryan’s dramatics after all these years. “Yes, your highness?”

“You wanna know where I’ve been going all these nights?”

This unsettled Steven. “Uh, into town?” He asked, confused.

“Well, yes, I told you that already, but I’ve been seeing someone.” Ryan sighed dreamily.

“Someone?!” Steven cried, “Have they hurt you? Have they done anything to you?” He rushed to the prince’s side, sitting next to him on his big bed.

Ryan shook his head, sitting up. “No! I’m fine! Actually, he’s been doing quite the opposite.”

“You’re confusing me, Ryan.”

“His name is Shane,” Ryan practically swooned, flopping back down on the bed.

“Shane? You met someone in town? And his name is Shane?” Steven asked, trying to organize all the thoughts in his head, and also trying not to panic at the thought of Ryan being in danger.

“Yes! He’s _amazing_ , Steven. He’s so beautiful, he has these really deep brown eyes, and he’s super tall, and he calls me beautiful and he loves to paint, and he has this weird fetish for butterflies but it’s okay because it’s kinda adorable and-”

“ _Woah_ , Ryan, Ryan, _please_ slow down. I-I’m having trouble processing all this information at once. This is slightly jarring for me.” Steven interrupted the prince, hand on his chest. Ryan noticed the royal advisor was slightly hyperventilating. He put a hand on Steven’s shoulder.

“It’s okay, Steven! He keeps me safe. He hides me from all the other people in his household.”

“HE KNOWS YOU’RE THE PRINCE? AND THERE ARE OTHER SUSPECTING PEOPLE IN HIS HOUSE?” Steven paled.

“Uh, well, he’s vowed not to tell anyone, at, at least I think he has—” Ryan tried to calm Steven down.

“Ryan, you could get _killed_ out there! Why can’t you just stay in the castle and in the meadows like you’re allowed to?!” Steven protested, clearly looking very worried and very exasperated.

Ryan got quiet for a moment. When he finally spoke, it was quieter than usual, “I’ve always wanted to feel normal,” He said, “Shane… he makes me feel normal. He doesn’t treat me like The Great Prince, he treats me like me. I didn’t know how much I needed that until I met him. He makes me happy.”

“Does life here not make you happy, Ryan?” Steven asked, furrowing his brows.

Ryan simply shrugged, not knowing whether to answer yes or no. Then, suddenly, without warning, his royal advisor pulled him in for a hug. Ryan gasped, but then, after a moment, hugged back tightly. The two boys stayed in an embrace for a while.

When they pulled back from the hug, Steven looked at Ryan earnestly. “Seeing Shane is not something you should be doing,” He told the prince, “But I’ll support you anyways. You will be paying for my food if I get fired, though!” He added jokingly, making Ryan laugh.

“Of course, Steven.” He said, meaning every word. Ryan wondered what him and Shane were going to do that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hiya! we're so sorry for the delay! sophia (matterbaby) and i have been working really hard on this fic, making sure it's perfect! we're very proud of it so far and we hope you enjoyed this chapter :D comments and kudos give us oxygen to breathe!!
> 
> our tumblrs:
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> matterbaby (sophia): bradpistachio  
> softwheeze (annabelle): femmebergara

**Author's Note:**

> btw, ryan is 16 and shane is 17! 
> 
> follow us on tumblr!
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> softwheeze: _femmebergara_  
>  matterbaby: _bradpistachio_


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